Naomi Wolf is a former Clinton adviser. Just over a year ago, she warned that the world is increasingly subject to “fake news”. She’s not the first to raise such warnings, but her credentials are sufficient to give the claims some credibility.
She advocates more “citizen journalism” where ordinary people begin to report the actual news rather than entrusting it that job to the Main-Stream Media (MSM).
More, she implicitly recommends that every time you and I read an article (like this one), we pause to ask “What does the author want us to think?” Most articles do not simply present facts. They also present the author’s opinion and, if that author is at all “political” an attempt to persuade you to adopt the author’s opinion and then act on it. The big question is, “If the author can persuade us to adopt his opinion and act on it, will our actions serve our best interests or the best interests of the author and/or whoever the author represents?
I think you should ask yourself before, during and after reading every article, if that article’s values are ultimately intended to serve your best interests or subtly persuade you to abandon your best interests. By “best interests,” I’m not simply suggesting you calculate whether a particular set of opinions will put $100 in your pocket or ultimately cost you $1,000. By “best interests” I’m including your access to the truth or perhaps even to new insight that helps you to view and understand “truth” more clearly but from a different perspective. “Best interests” are not only about “show me the money!” They also involve “show me–and help me understand–the truth.”
In a world increasingly populated by liars, each of us needs to sharpen our own personal capacity for discernment.
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